Sometimes, life hits hard with such incidents that just don’t feel real. And the same happened on the 8th of April, 2025, with the passing away news of PJ Blue. The 27-year-old was a former Louisville Cardinals star linebacker, one of the good guys with fierce competitive skills. His sudden passing has left many in shock, struggling to understand how someone so young, so full of life and potential, could be gone so soon. As we reflect on his journey, we celebrate the 27 impactful years he lived — a life marked by strength, resilience, and heart.

Where is PJ Blue from? Ethnicity, background and early life

PJ Blue wasn’t just a talented player on the football grounds; he was his hometown hero. He was born on 31st October 1997 to Lisa Denise Blue and was raised in Jemison, Alabama. Blue initially started off his game at Park Crossing High School and was coached by Smitty Grider. Then, he committed to Louisville, where his football game started to turn heads. And his high school years? Standing at 6’3” and weighing 229 lbs, Blue played both sides of the football in 2015. His impressive performance has earned him recognition as a four-star recruit. He was the kind of person who lit up the locker room and the field.

Blue had totaled 67 tackles as a senior at Park Crossing. And made a total of six pass deflections and a pair of interceptions. Got credited with 110 tackles as a junior and totaled 90 tackles and one interception as a sophomore. Finally, he registered 77 tackles as a freshman. Through these scores, he received several offers from Louisville, Alabama, Kentucky, Clemson, Mississippi, Nebraska, Missouri, and South Carolina. But he chose to forge his own story and joined the University of Louisville in 2016. 

His mother, Lisa, was an active member of Morning Star Baptist Church in Clanton, Alabama, and passed away on June 1, 2019, at the age of 54. As of now, there is no publicly available information about P.J.’s father or other immediate family members. While P.J.’s ethnicity is not explicitly documented in the available sources, it is reasonable to infer that he was African American, considering his family’s background in Alabama. His early life in Jemison, coupled with his family’s roots in the region, played a significant role in shaping the person and athlete he became.

PJ Blue’s college football stats and records

PJ Blue’s college life was anything but smooth. But let’s not forget he’s fought hard both on and off the field. Soon after he committed to the Louisville Cardinals in 2016, he redshirted his first season. And he tore his ACL in 2017 during the spring practice. In 2018, he appeared in 11 games, making four starts, and closed the year with 39 tackles and a pair of tackles for loss. Injured again? Yes, in 2019, he missed the season after getting his knees injured. So, he really had a patchy ride into the college football game starting. 

However, the coaches and staff eyed him and understood that he would be a prominent player for the team. In a 2016 interview in the Courier Journal, Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham shows that the coaching staff was “excited” to have PJ on the team. “Anytime you can get big guys who can run and hit, you’re going to be good on defense. He’s a guy who has length, has size, has the ability to run. He has position flexibility,” said Grantham, who also highlighted that he had “a bright future.” Cort Dennison, the defensive backs coach, told the Courier-Journal that PJ was “tough” and “intelligent.” He looked like one of the “most comfortable” freshmen on the team’s defense at the time. But what happened? How did an excellent player pass away so soon? 

What happened to PJ Blue? How did he die?

Former Louisville linebacker PJ Blue was officially announced dead at 27 years old by the school.  But the cause of death was not made available immediately. With this news, tributes have begun pouring in from friends and family for Blue. The university officials made a statement saying, “We are saddened by the passing of Cardinal Forever P.J. Blue. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.” Super Bowl champion Mekhi Becton also played with Blue at Louisville. Becton also mourned his former teammate’s passing on Instagram, writing, “Rest in Paradise, brudda!” The outpouring of tributes and love from fans, teammates, and coaches depicts how deeply he impacted individuals around him. 

More than a player, Blue was known for his positive vibe and relentless work ethic, along with a kind of smile that could turn a rough day around. Even when he got set back from injuries, he showed up in support and led his team with heart. His story is certainly a reminder that life is not always about trophies and numbers. But it’s the impact that a person leaves on others. And in this case, Blue definitely left his mark in the pages of history.